JDR

Was your engine smoking like Howard Marks at the time?

As a rule of thumb if you have a postal address at the marina it's residential.A lot of marinas which have a high percentage of liveaboards insulate themselves by insisting on an external postal address but are quite happy to turn a blind eye. The only way to find out is to speak to moorers in your target marina. It's a surreal scenario that operates all over the country.

Depends what you mean by bilge.If it the area that catches water from the stern gland then a degrease, descale, rust treatment then use of a specialist bilge paint like Danboline would be appropriate. Elsewhere hammerite would be ok but never on top of rust. Remove any visible rust with a wire brush or wheel attachment on a drill, use a rust converter like fertan, once dry and rust free either prime with red oxide or paint straight onto rust free surface.

Radio reception can improves at night due to changes in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. With no solar radiation the ionosphere acts as a better reflector for some frequencies.Also a reduction in background noise at night for same reason.

Vax would be first choice, alternatively cat litter poured into a pair of tights works.

I would personally be wary of anything with an LED display in an environment like an instrument cluster on a boat.I have heard lots of stories of displays going blank then if lucky recovering after being dried out in an airing cupboard.I know the later Beta clocks were prone to this but don't know if it was a manufacturing issue with one brand.

I found Durite tachos with inbuilt hour counters the best value when I was shopping last year. About £90 if you shop around and fairly straightforward to fit and calibrate.

Well checked all pipework and weny over all connections and nothing obvious, first filter looked ok but changed it and all O-rings anyway.Engine has been running for an hour now but I'm not going to give it another hour before I declare success.The fuel flow was stronger when line was disconnected to lift pump and had lots of air bubbles before running clean so quietly confident this time.

Owatrol works very well as a thinner.

No, thanks for your help and acting as a sounding board, appreciated, that goes for everybody that has chipped in, ta.

When the engine dies there is air in the filter.Once fuel is manually pumped to filter using lever on lift pump the engine starts easily and runs for half an an hour before stalling again. Will do what you suggest tomorrow but right now I am eyeing a bottle of Cillit Bang wondering if it contains alcohol!

Lift pump replaced, symptoms exactly the same.Fuel comrs out of the bleed screw for the first filter closest to the tank (CAV filter with a water drain).Took that off to have a look and bowl at the bottom was full of cherry red clean diesel.Engine filter also clean. I now suspect an air leak somwhere between lift pump and tank.How dore somebody of only moderate mechanical ability test the fuel lines for pressure integrity?

Sitting on the roof when steering is comfier than standing for hours.Depending on where your tiller is it puts you at a more natural angle, and more importantly you can steer with your knee while making a rollie.

If you can't get hold of phosphoric acid Fertan is extremely effective, or Vactan if you need to tackle rust in a water tank.

The front is on the floats above the weir, the stern is resting on the edge of the entrance, they're side on to the flow.They won't get off with engine power but should be possible with ropes.

Glad everyone's OK, came very close to being in the same situation in the same place once. Very awkward approach downstream with landing stage under a bridge and a dogleg right/left turn into lock.Not a lot of room for error. There's a road running opposite the lock so should be possible to tow it back towards the IDR moorings.

Ok thanks, I was fairly certain the pump was faulty after bypass but confused by pump working ok on lever. It's the obvious thing to change so that's what I'll do.Will report back but may be early next week.

I did, thanks again getting better. Do you think the pump is definitely u/s?

Well that's 90 beer tokens less than Betamarine, thanks.

Yes that's the pump.

Small circular housing for diaphram, arm with a spring facing engine, manual lever on bottom.Fuel line in from tank and line out to filter on top.Will try and get a picture.